Anadarko Disconnects All 1-in. Lines Following House Explosion

Anadarko Petroleum announced on its website on 16 May that it is permanently disconnecting 1-in.-diameter return lines from all vertical wells in Colorado—the same type of pipe that carried odorless gas that fueled a house explosion in Firestone, Colorado.

This graphic shows a typical vertical well and underground lines.
Credit: Anadarko Petroleum.

The company also plans to fund methane detection equipment for homeowners in the Oak Meadows neighborhood as well as the cleanup of the neighborhood park adjacent to the leveled house, the website says.

“I think the main reason why is to provide some greater transparency around the actions we’ve taken,” spokesman John Christiansen said, adding that officials are “doing what we can to help folks feel safe in their homes and to give them some confidence around the things that we are doing.”

Information about operational and regulatory actions was added as a tab on the Colorado website in the wake of the tragedy that killed two men nearly a month ago.

“As we get updates, what we’re aiming to do is provide updates to residents,” he said.

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